Re-Powering And Life Extension Of Onshore Wind – Renewables – UK – Mondaq

30 May 2022

Marks & Clerk

To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.

Having attended the All Energy and Decarbonise exhibition andconference earlier this month (11th and 12thMay),"Onshore Wind: The long game - Re-powering and lifeextension" proved to be a very interesting presentation.Featuring speakers involved in every stage of the development of anonshore wind site - from site planning all the way through to lifeextension - the presentation was both insightful and inspiring inits attention to detail regarding the steps necessary to bolsterour current renewable energy capacity, steps the development ofwhich my colleagues and I keenly follow.

Most interesting - through the lens of innovation - was thediscussion of necessary actions regarding the decommissioning ofonshore wind installations which are due an upgrade, not adiscussion held at large on the renewables world stage. Inparticular, the Q & A following the presentation shed light onthe problem of turbine blade recyclability. This problem is one ofimport, as many of the onshore wind sites currently in operation(for many years) are due to be replaced by sites which feature moreup to date and efficient technology. The problem being, many ofthese outdated sites occupy some of the most lucrative locations inthe world with regard to the exploitation of wind energy.Therefore, these outdated wind turbines must be removed to make wayfor their more modern descendants. Removed, though, to where?

"Recycling facilities" acts as an acceptable answer tothe above question in relation to many components of a wind turbine- largely excluding the turbine blades themselves. Notoriouslydifficult to recycle, decommissioning these components may solvethe problem of outdated onshore wind installations, whilstsimultaneously creating an issue of waste following suchdecommissioning. Unsurprisingly, one of the landscapes whichonshore wind operators are primed to explore in order to overcomethis issue is that of turbine blade technological innovation. Inshort, the exploration of how exactly turbine blades can bedesigned/manufactured in order to make them more recyclable. Thisproblem, therefore, struck me as one which presents a fantasticopportunity for innovators to contribute significantly to the netzero effort, whilst benefiting commercially as a result of theirinnovative efforts.

The discussion by the panel of the absence of the OriginalEquipment Manufacturers (OEMs) - responsible for manufacturing thecomponents used to produce the wind turbines originally placedthroughout these outdated sites - also proved noteworthy. Absenceof the particular spare parts required in order to be able toextend the life of these aging wind turbines acts as a significantbarrier to the continued operation of theses sites. With SiemensGamesa, a prolific OEM, having created an entire business linededicated to the refurbishment of aging wind turbine parts, in anattempt to counteract this issue, a niche primed for exploitationby innovators seems to have been identified. Whether suchexploitation takes the form of innovative methods of spare partrefurbishment, or perhaps the invention of wind turbine componentscapable of acceptance into a wide range of wind turbine systems,opportunities to contribute to the net zero effort, and benefitcommercially whilst doing so, seem to be calling out to innovatorsthe world over.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

POPULAR ARTICLES ON: Energy and Natural Resources from UK

Marks & Clerk

When we think about sources of renewable energy, it's usually wind turbines and solar panels that come to mind. In fact, it is the oceans which are the world's largest source of untapped energy...

Read the rest here:

Re-Powering And Life Extension Of Onshore Wind - Renewables - UK - Mondaq